PH files protest over China's Sansha City

by Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News

MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang on Tuesday said a diplomatic protest against the establishment of China's Sansha City prefecture also covers other acts such as the reported election of a Sansha City mayor.

"My understanding is that all attendant acts from the establishment of the prefecture, if I am correct, are now covered by the diplomatic protest that was filed. Kasi it necessarily flows from the act of establishing that prefecture which is already the subject of the protest that was filed by the Department of Foreign Affairs,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

The Philippines has already filed a diplomatic protest against China’s establishment of Sansha City that claims jurisdiction over island groups in the South China Sea including the Nansha or Kalayaan Group of Islands.

The legislative conference also elected three deputy mayors, head of the city's intermediate people's court and procuratorate. It also elected another five members of the standing committee of the Sansha Municipal People's Congress.